him, faying, Rev. v. 12. "Worthy is the Lamb that was "flain, to receive power, and riches, and wifdom, and "ftrength, and honor, and glory, and bleffing." Why fhould we not alfo attempt to give him praise in his church on earth? for he, having finifhed his own work, and entered into his glory, hath give us an affured prolpect, that we alfo fhall overcome in his ftrength; that he will come again, and "receive us to himfelf; that where "he is, there we may be alfo."

2. You may fee from what hath been faid, that fuch as are yet unrelated to this Saviour are in a ftate of fin, and liable to divine wrath. Hear and receive this truth, however unwelcome to the fecure, however diftafteful to the carnal mind. If it were not fo, this propitiation which God hath fet forth would have been altogether unneceffa ry. Let us beg of him who hath afcended up on high, to fend down, according to his promife, his Spirit to convince the world of fin. How many affecting and ftriking proofs have we of this, both in our character and ftate! and yet how difficult to make us fenfible of it! What is to be seen in the world at prefent, or what do we read in the history of past ages, but one melancholy fcene of dif order, mifery, and bloodfhed, fucceeding another? Is not this the effect of human guilt? And do we not, by mutual injuries, at once demonftrate our own corruption, and execute the juft judgment of God upon one another? May not every perfon difcover the latent fource of these flagrant crimes, in the pollution of his own heart, his averfion to what is good, and his pronenefs and inclination to what is evil? And yet, alas! how difficult a matter is it to make the heart humble itfelf, and plead guilty before God: to make us fenfible, that we are tranfgreffors from the womb, and inexcufable, in this tranfgreffion; that the threatening of the law is most juft," Curfed is every one that con"tinueth not in all things written in the book of the law "to do them;" and that it is of the infinite mercy of God, that the execution is fufpended, or any hope given us of being able to avert it?

Yet this, my brethren, I will repeat it, and I befeech you to attend to it, is certainly the cafe by nature, with

every perfon in this affembly. Every one who now hears me is in a flate of condemnation, and liable to everlasting mifery, excepting that happy number who have "fled "for refuge to lay hold of the hope fet before them." All infenfible perfons, living in a carelefs fecure forgetfulness of God; all who indulge themfelves habitually in the lufts of the flesh; drunkards, fwearers, profane and lafcivious jefters, liars, unjuft perfons, lovers of the prefent world, are aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers to the covenant of promife. Oh that it were poffible for me to awaken you to a fenfe of your danger, while there is yet a poffibility of efcaping! Oh the importance to you of the unknown time from this day of your inerciful vifitation to the day of your death! What would those who are now reserved in chains to the judgment of the great day, give for the precious opportunity you are now defpifing! In a little time I know that you yourselves will repent; oh that it may not be when it is too late to reform! But all words muft fink under fuch a fubject. No picture that I could draw of the despairing horror of a finner on his death-bed, or the blafpheming rage of thofe who are tormented in hell-fire, could poffibly give any of you a juft apprehenfion of what it is to fall into the hands of the living God, unless it please himself to wound the confcience with the arrows of conviction, that he may af terwards pour in the healing balm of peace and confolation. And oh that it might ftand with the will of God that none here present should efcape!

In

3. Learn from what has been faid, that there is no facrifice for fin, but the one offering of our Redeemer on the crofs; no hope of mercy for any child of Adam, but through his blood. The typical facrifices under the Old Teftament were but fhadows, the fubftance is Chrift. vain will any go about to eftablifh their own righteousness, and refufe to fubmit to the righteoufnefs of God. Think not, my brethren, by attempts of reformation, by faulty defective duties, to be able to cancel any part of that guilt to which you are adding every day. How great is the folly and presumption of felf-righteoufnefs! What a profane contempt of the riches of divine grace! Hath God feen it

neceflary to fet forth Chrift as a propitiation through faith in his blood? and will you fay, that it is unneceffary, and fpurn the offered mercy? How much ignorance is in felf-righteousness! What imperfect views muft they have of the law of God, and how little knowledge of themfelves, and their own hearts who admire or trust in hu man virtue! Above all, what is the foundation and cor. ner-flone of felf-righteoufnefs? It is pride, that fin of all others moft odious and abominable in the fight of God. Is it not a matter of daily experience, that thofe perfons who are evidently moft loofe and carelefs in their own. practice, and who, one would think, fhould have leaft of that kind to rely upon, are most prone to a felf-righteous plan, and most ready to despise the doctrine of juftification through the imputed righteousness of Chrift. Are you fometimes furprised at this, Chriflians? The thing is eafily explained. They know little either of the law of God or their own hearts. They feldom ftudy the one, or reflect upon the other. If they did, they would foon be afhamed of fuch a pretence. Those who apply themselves with the greateft diligence to the ftudy of holinefs in heart and life, do always moft fenfibly feel, and moft willingly confefs, that all their righteoufhefles are as filthy rags before God.

4. In Chrift Jefus, and the blood of the everlasting covenant, there is abundant provifion made for the pardon of all our fins, and peace with an offended God. "Be"hold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the "world" Behold the Lamb which God himself hath ordained, and set apart for this important work, and which he will certainly accept! "Deliver them," faith he, "from going down to the pit: I have found a ranfom." Behold the immaculate and fpotlefs victim in the purity of his human, and the glory of his divine nature! There is no fin fo atrocious but his blood is fufficient to wash away the guilt. Is there any finner in this affembly burdened with a fenfe of guilt, arrefted by an acculing confcience, terrified by the thunders of the law, ready to cry out, "Who can ftand before this holy Lord God! My flesh "trembleth because of thee: I am afraid of thy judg

"ments."

him that is

away

?

Let fuch an one know, that help is laid on mighty to fave." Let your guilt be what it will, who can fo far derogate from the Redeemer's glory as to fufpect that his blood cannot purge it Give no heed to unbelieving thoughts, or difcouraging fuggeftions; but be "ftrong in faith, giving glory to God;" and attend to the Saviour's own words: "Him that "cometh unto me, I will in no wife caft out."

5. In the last place, Let all the children of God, whofe hope hath ftill been in the divine mercy through a crucified Saviour, embrace the opportunity now given them of profeffing, exercifing, and ftrengthening their faith in the great atonement. Plead your relation to God through Chrift, and encourage yourselves in his all-fufficiency and merit. Look upon his fufferings for humbling you under a fenfe of the evil of fin, which made fuch an expiation neceffary. Nothing ferves more to abafe and level human pride, than to fee our nature on the cross though perfonally united to the divine. Look upon him in his agony, for mortifying and crucifying fin in you. There is a purifying virtue, and fanctifying efficacy, in the blood of Chrift. It not only fpeaks peace to the wounded confcience, but purges the confcience from dead works to ferve the living God. I am not against the introduction of every argument from fcripture or reafon against fin, or in fupport of duty; but let them never fupplant the great, the leading, the constraining argument, which is drawn from the cross of Chrift. Believe it, my brethren, nothing fo much reconciles the heart to duty, nothing fo kindles a holy indignation against fin, as a believing view of the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the world.This gives the Spirit of adoption, a child-like fear, and a child-like love. This fills the Chriftian with comfort, this infpires the Chriftian with zeal. To feek our comfort in a feparate way, or in the firft inftance from our duties, is to make that comfort feeble and variable as the duties are defective; but to enliven our duties by the comforts of the gospel is to follow the order of the covenant by which we at once promote the glory of God, effectually fecure our own comfort and peace.

of grace,

and moft

This is

the Spirit breathed by the apostle Paul, with whose words, Gal. ii. 19, 20. I fhall conclude; "For I through the law "am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am "crucified with Chrift; Nevertheless I live; yet not I, "but Chrift liveth în me; and the life which I now live "in the flefh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who "loved me, and gave himfelf for me."